Thursday, August 13, 2015

Most
of the foods carry a certain image that can be difficult to shed off sometimes.
For example, most people consider the South Indian cuisine as very spicy.
Similarly, Chinese food is often perceived to be full of cabbage and carrots.
Pasta too carried such a notion for my cousin who had always discarded it as
‘junk’ and in the category of shunned foods. “You see, this pasta-wasta does
not appeal to me,” he would say, till I prepared a dish with some of my own
improvisations that he liked immensely. Del Monte Pasta is made up of high
quality Durum wheat (also known as Macroni Wheat) and is nutritious. The sauce
also contains veggies and tomato and hence nutrition is not lost like in other
western foods. So here I gladly present the dish that helped me change the
perception of my cousin and now he does not stop his kids from enjoying this
wonderful Italian snack.

Pasta-Points

I
have Farfalle Pasta that looks like a bow-tie. The ‘Farfalle’ is an Italian
word for ‘butterfly’ as it also resembles a butterfly’s wings.

However, before
we begin, I would like to present some info regarding Pasta:

Pasta is eaten as a staple food in Italy.

It dates back to the year 1154 AD.

Pasta comes in more than 300 specific
forms and shapes.

The word ‘Pasta’ comes from the Greek
word ‘Pestos’ that means ‘salted’.

Pasta comes in two major varieties-
fresh (fresca) and dried (secca).

So let’s go!

These
were some interesting tidbits and now presented is the dish I have named ‘Pasta
Capsicorn ’ for I just love corns! This makes Pasta not only different but
healthy as well.

This
preparation of Pasta Capsicorn -

Serves
three

Preparation
time is around 10 minutes

Cooking
time is around 15 minutes

Utensils
(main) needed are a non-stick heating pan, a boiling pan, a strainer and a
serving dish.

Ingredients

Quantity

Del Monte Pasta

Water (for boiling)

Finely chopped onions

Tomatoes

Garlic cloves

Finely chopped Green chilies

Boiled Corns

Chopped Capsicum

Chili powder

Processed Cheese

Corn flour

Olive/ groundnut Oil

Salt

Lemon and Coriander

Garlic butter /Plain butter

150 gms

3-4 cups

1 or 2

3

5

2

2 Tablespoons

1

Half Teaspoon/2.5 gms

1 or 2 slices/cubes

1 small teaspoon/4 gms

1 tablespoon

As per taste

For garnishing

Half a teaspoon

Method

1.Boil pasta for around 15 minutes on a
high flame. Add a few oil drops to keep pasta flakes from sticking together. Also add half of teaspoonful of salt. When
soft, drain and keep aside.

2.Heat oil in a pan and sauté chopped
garlic, onions and green chilies along with salt (to taste).

3.When the onions are translucent, add
chopped capsicum and salt to taste and sauté some more till the capsicum is
free of its ‘rawness’.

4.Meanwhile, put tomatoes in boiling water
for a few minutes, cool them and peel off the skins and mash them finely.

5.Add chili powder and tomatoes to the
mixture in the pan.

6.After a few minutes, add boiled corns
and mix well.

7.Now add corn flour (mixed with very
little water) to hold or bind the sauce together.

8.Heat the mixture over the flame for some
more time while stirring continuously. Add some water if the mixture is thick.

9.Finally, add boiled pasta and mix well and
stir for a minute or two.

After
I prepared this dish, my cousin who is quite stingy with compliments, showered
many upon me and his delusion that Pasta was unhealthy was also broken. Pasta
is an immensely enjoyable dish and comes in many varieties. If you are too busy
to prepare the sauce, Del Monte ready-made sauces can also be used. My favorite of all the sauces is ‘Arrabbiata’ which is a slightly tangy tomato-onion
Pasta sauce.

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Poseidonis one of the twelve Olympian deities of the pantheon in Greek mythology. His main domain is the ocean, and he is called the "God of the Sea". Additionally, he is referred to as "Earth-Shaker" due to his role in causing earthquakes, and has been called the "tamer of horses". He is usually depicted as an older male with curly hair and beard. Poseidon was a major civic god of several cities and in Athens, he was second only to Athena in importance, while in Corinth and many cities of Magna Graecia he was the chief god of the Polis.